Upon discovering that she would portray Amy Elliot Dunne in David Fincher‘s adaptation of Gillian Flynn‘s novel of the same name, I was determined not to see it. Why? I listened to the audio book a few years ago and absolutely despised the character of Amy. I didn’t want to see Rosamund Pike’s acting abilities make me hate her. Even though Nick isn’t entirely sympathetic throughout the entire narrative, he is supposed to be the less villainous of the pair.

Nevertheless, I changed my mind and saw it today. Surprisingly, I did not hate Rosamund Pike afterwards. I actually found the film more enjoyable than the audio book as it leveled the playing field of character (non)likeability.

The titles alone correspond to the plot development (though not necessarily in that order). Observe the lyrics:

I tell you how I feel, but you don’t careI say tell me the truth, but you don’t dareYou say love is a hell you cannot bearAnd I say gimme mine back and then go there – for all I care

I got my feet on the groundAnd I don’t go to sleep to dreamYou got your head in the cloudsAnd you’re not at all what you seemThis mind, this bodyAnd this voice cannot be stifled by your deviant waysSo don’t forget what I told youDon’t come around, I got my own hell to raise– Sleep to Dream

~!~

Once my lover, now my friendWhat a cruel thing to pretendWhat a cunning way to condescendOnce my lover, and now my friend

Oh, you creep up like the cloudsAnd you set my soul at easeThen you let your love aboundAnd you bring me to my knees– Shadowboxer

~!~

I’ve been a bad, bad girlI’ve been careless with a delicate manAnd it’s a sad, sad worldWhen a girl would break a boyjust because she can

Don’t you tell me to deny it,I’ve done wrong and I wanna suffer for my sinsI’ve come to you‘Cause I need guidance to be trueAnd I just don’t know where I can begin– Criminal

~!~

The song that made me do a mental double-take was “Slow like Honey” :

You moved like honey in my dream last nightYeah, some old fires were burningYou came near to me and you endeared to meBut you couldn’t quite discern me

Does that scare you?I’ll let you run awayBut your heart will not oblige youYou’ll remember me like a melodyYeah, I’ll haunt the world inside you

And my big secret gonna win you overSlow like honey, heavy with mood

I’ll let you see meI’ll covet your regardI’ll invade your demeanorAnd you’ll yield to me like a scent in the breezeAnd you’ll wonder what it is about me

It’s my big secretKeeping you comingSlow like honey, heavy with mood

Though dreams can be deceivingLike faces are to heartsThey serve for sweet relievingWhen fantasy and reality lie too far apart

So I stretch myself across like a bridgeAnd I pull you to the edgeAnd stand there waiting, trying to attainThe end to satisfy the storyShall I release you? Must I release you?As I rise to meet my glory

But my big secretGonna hover over your lifeGonna keep you reachingWhen I’m gone like yesterdayWhen I’m high like heavenWhen I’m strong like music‘Cause I’m slow like honey, andHeavy with mood